Loddon

This was one in a series of fabrics named for the various tributaries of the Thames river. Others included Wandle, Medway, Lea, Wey, and Evenlode. Morris has used familiar British flowers in the design, including the carnation, tulip, and English rose. The drawing may have been used either to train apprentices in the printing workshops or designed as an aid for the block-cutters to give greater clarity of details. The firm often sold several color variations, or "colorways," of a particular fabric, as seen in these three samples of Loddon. The Huntington William Morris Collection also contains samples of six colorways of Lea.